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Discussion

RN or EMT-P?

I'm currently in college majoring in nursing (going into sophmore year). I enjoy it very much, I love learning about medical biology.

I want to be able to help treat and make sure a patient survives a trauma situation, like a bullet wound or explosion. (there are a lot of gunshot wound cases in my area) I'm sure emergency room nurses have to deal with this, and paramedics do too. Who is more qualified to deal with such situations, and who is more qualified overall? Would either be able to save the patient's life? (assuming it was a situation where that was possible)

I'm trying to decide whether I want to continue my studies to become an RN or NP, or if I should go to EMT training or somehow try to do both. I want to be able to eventually work in an ER if I become a nurse, to help in such emergencies. Would I even be able to make a difference in saving the patient's life? What if I was one of the only ones there?

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    THe paramedics' job stops at the door. So it might depend on whether or not you want to see if your efforts made a difference. Getting them to the door alive is certainly a difference to the victim. Nurses in ER would get them stable and then send them to surgery probably, or to a nursing unit. A NP in this scenario would most likely be in ER, but can be in nursing units too, or working with trauma MD's doing followup on survivors. So it comes down to how long you want to interact with the patient.

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    NP's in the ER don't usually work with critically ill/injured pts.

    A life is only saved when the pt leaves the hospital alive.

    One person does not do it all. Emergency medicine, pre or in hospital, is a team sport.

    Take a look at the emergency nursing forum. There's a lot more going on besides trauma codes/activations.

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    We have NP's in our ER, but of course they are supervised by the MD's. Aside from that, a career decision may depend on personal goals more than anything else.

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    Which is more skilled in such a type of medicine?

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    Considering an NP needs a master's degree and an EMT-P is an associate degree, I would assume the NP would be more skilled. If you want to treat victims of gunshots and explosions, have you thought about going the military after you get your RN? They will pay the student loans you acquired.

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    Like others say once your a paramedic, that's it. A Nurse Practitioner is able to work in the ER but they are more popular in other fields. NP requires further education, you will need to get a BSN to make this happen. That is a four year degree rather then a two year ADN.

    You should look at whether you want to work in the ER as a nurse, or on the truck in the field as a Paramedic. Two different spectrums.

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    From what I hear Paramedics and R.N.s are similar as in the skills they learn. I plan on getting my B.S.N. and finish in 2015. While I study for the NCLEX I want to do the RN-Paramedic bridge. After I've had a few years in the ER/ICU I want to become a nurse practitioner and by then the NP will be a Doctorate. Most of the paramedics are nurses for their "day job" on my squad.

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    From what I hear Paramedics and R.N.s are similar as in the skills they learn. I plan on getting my B.S.N. and finish in 2015. While I study for the NCLEX I want to do the RN-Paramedic bridge. After I've had a few years in the ER/ICU I want to become a nurse practitioner and by then the NP will be a Doctorate. Most of the paramedics are nurses for their "day job."

    Paramedics practice via flowcharts. If that's your style and you like the rush of being at the scene, go for it.

    If you want to treat the patient's response and see it through, go for the RN.

    If you want to dx and rx, go for NP.

    All can work in acute care.

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    You should consider flight nursing as well.

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